Fear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella (The Darkworld Series) Read Online Free PDF

ceiling. At least we reached Blackstone in five minutes.
    We passed through the cobblestone streets to the pub. The Coach and Horses was a favourite spot for students, and when we reached it, I could see it was packed-out. I hesitated before going inside—how the hell would we even know who to look for?—but Berenice shouldered her way past me, muttering that she was getting soaked. Drawing in a deep breath, I went in after her.
    I scanned the room. Would the person who left the note be alone, or was there more than one of them? Checking my watch, I saw that we’d arrived pretty much dead on six, so they should have been here by now. My mind kept racing, much to my irritation. Did I really want this that badly?
    Someone walked into Berenice, and she turned and swore at them.
    “You watch it,” snarled the guy. Hell, he was scary-looking. At least six feet tall, he walked slightly stooped to fit under the low ceiling. His blond hair was buzzed short, and a hooped earring hung from one ear. He was like Biker Guy on steroids.
    “Berenice!” I said, quickly, pulling her away before she caused a commotion. That guy looked like the type who’d cause a pub brawl. We needed to find the author of the mysterious note.
    Moving into the center of the room, I looked around again. Crap, this was getting embarrassing. Maybe we’d imagined the whole thing.
    “Let’s get a drink,” I said quickly to Berenice, who was still staring at the guy.
    I caught the bartender’s attention and ordered two vodka and cokes. While he was pouring our drinks, I cast another look around the pub.
    And someone waved at me.
    The guy was sitting in the far corner, alone, in the shadow of the roof beams. It was about the subtlest wave I’d ever seen, and it could have been directed at anyone—except no one else was looking that way.
    Berenice tapped me on the arm. The bartender was handing me my change. I took it without turning around, picking up my drink with the other hand. Maybe I should have ordered a couple of shots for luck.
    “This is a waste of time,” Berenice hissed in my ear.
    I gave a slow head-shake. Damn, we were acting like freaking spies or something. The sheer ridiculousness of it made laughter bubble up in my throat.
    The guy waved again. At me.
    Right. I’ve had enough of this.
Gritting my teeth, I started to walk toward him. Berenice did, too, possibly thinking I was going to find a table. We crossed the room without looking too much like spies or lunatics—at least, I hoped not. I could see the person at the table now. A sandy-haired guy dressed casually in jeans and a threadbare coat. So, not a
venator.
Though, presumably, they were allowed to remove their uniform when they weren’t working.
    Just as we reached the table, someone else crossed in front of us.
Crap.
The scary big guy Berenice had almost started a fight with. He pulled out a chair next to the sandy-haired guy and turned to glare at us.
    I froze, less than a meter away.
Oh, shit.



ou can sit down, you know,” said the sandy-haired guy. “You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
    Berenice didn’t move. “Did you leave this note?” She pulled it from her pocket and threw it down on the table. The big guy narrowed his eyes at her.
    “Sit down,” Sandy-haired Guy repeated. “I’m Cyrus. You won’t get into any trouble for talking to me, honest.”
    So, he does know.
I felt a rush of relief and pulled out a chair to cover my shaking hands. Putting my drink down on the table, I inched my chair closer to Cyrus and farther from the scary guy.
    Berenice still didn’t move. “Who are you?” she asked Scary Guy.
    “What’s it to you?”
    “Howard!” Cyrus shook his head. “Ignore him,” he added to me and Berenice. “He has a stick up his ass the size of a parking meter, but he won’t get you into trouble, either. Right?” He gave Howard a stern look.
    “Are you two related?” Berenice asked. She sat down in the seat Cyrus offered her, not